Pacific Life Holiday Bowl - Postgame Notes :: Red Raiders vs. California

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2004 Texas Tech Football
Red Raiders vs. California (Pacific Life Holiday Bowl)
December 30, 2004

Postgame Notes

GETTING STARTED
· Texas Tech lost the coin toss for the sixth time this season. Cal elected to receive the opening kickoff.
· Tonight's bowl appearance was the 28th overall for Texas Tech but was the first for the Red Raiders in the Holiday Bowl. The last time the Red Raiders played in the state of California was in 1976 at USC.
· Junior linebacker Sylvester Brinkley made his first career start tonight (at SAM linebacker) replacing an injured John Saldi.
· A total of 20 Red Raiders played their final game tonight in the Red & Black: Dustin Jonas, Johnnie Mack, Nehemiah Glover, Trey Haverty, Sonny Cumbie, Jamaal Jackson, Geremy Woods, Josh Rangel, Jabari Smith, Ryan Bishop, Mike Smith, Clay McGuire, Calvin Bradshaw, Daniel Loper, Cody Campbell, Dylan Gandy, Joey Hawkins, Patrice Majondo-Mwamba, Adell Duckett and Wich Brenner.
Starters - (Offense) - (LT) Daniel Loper, (LG) Cody Campbell, (C) Dylan Gandy, (RT) E.J. Whitley, (RG) Manny Ramirez, (QB) Sonny Cumbie, (F) Taurean Henderson, (H) Nehemiah Glover, (X) Jarrett Hicks, (Y) Trey Haverty, (Z) Cody Fuller (Defense) - (LE) Adell Duckett, (NT) Patrice Majondo-Mwamba, (DT) Dek Bake, (RE) Seth Nitschmann, (SAM) Sylvester Brinkley, (MIKE) Brock Stratton, (WILL) Mike Smith, (LC) Antonio Huffman, (SS) Josh Rangel, (FS) Vincent Meeks, (RC) Khalid Naziruddin

BIG WIN FOR TECH FOOTBALL
Tonight's win over fourth-ranked California stands as one of the biggest wins in the program's history. Texas Tech entered the game with three previous wins over teams ranked in the Top 5 but all three of those wins came at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock. Tech had previously beaten third-ranked Texas in 2002, fifth-ranked Texas A&M in 1999 and fifth-ranked Houston in 1978.

BIG NIGHT FOR Jarrett Hicks
It was another big night for sophomore receiver Jarrett Hicks. Hicks, a native of Houston, Texas, scored the first points of the game when he hauled in a nine-yard TD pass from Sonny Cumbie on Tech's first drive of the game. Later in the second quarter, he set a new Texas Tech single-season school record when he caught his 13th touchdown pass of the season (a five-yard reception) to put Tech in the lead 16-14 with 8:57 remaining in the first half.

CUMBIE MOVES INTO NCAA TOP 10
Senior Sonny Cumbie moved into the NCAA Top 10 in single-season passing yardage in the first half as he accounted for 297 yards. With 4,742 yards this season, Cumbie now ranks sixth on the NCAA Top 10 list, surpassing Andre Ware of the University of Houston. Cumbie entered the game needing 264 yards to break into the Top 10. Awarded by ESPN, Cumbie was named Capital One Player of the Game for his 520 yards and three TD passes as he also set a new Pacific Life Holiday Bowl record for pass attempts and completions going 39-for-60. Cumbie was also named the Offensive Most Valuable Player. Free Safety Vincent Meeks was named Defensive Most Valuable Player.

HAVERTY LIVES UP TO ALL-AMERICA BILLING
Senior All-American Trey Haverty lived up to his billing tonight as he finished the game as Tech's top receiver with eight receptions for 147 yards. Joel Filani ranked second on the evening in receptions as he tallied five catches for 144 yards.

HENDERSON ANCHORS TECH GROUND ATTACK
Junior running back Taurean Henderson turned in a solid night for the Tech offense as he finished with 35 rushing yards. He put Tech ahead 23-14 late in the first half when he rushed for a two-yard touchdown. The rushing touchdown was his 15th of the season and that ranks him fourth all-time on the single-season rushing touchdown list at Texas Tech.

TECH SOLID IN THE THIRD QUARTER
The Tech defensive unit has shined all season long in the third quarter and tonight was no different. The Red Raiders held Cal to a field goal in the period and Tech will conclude this football season having allowed just 61 points in the third quarter. The Red Raider defense under the direction of Lyle Setencich held five opponents to three or less points in the third quarter this year.

TECH'S WIN . . .
· Gives Tech a final 8-4 record.
· Gives Tech the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Championship and a three-game bowl win streak, the longest in school history.
· Gives head coach Mike Leach a career record of 39-25.
· Insures that the Red Raiders will finish the season ranked for the first time since 1989 when Tech finished at No. 23.
· Gives the Texas Tech senior class a 3-1 record in bowl games.
· Gives Tech an eight-plus win season for the third straight year, a first in school history
· Marks the fewest losses in a season (four) since 1995 (three).

NOTING THE RED RAIDERS
· Texas Tech held the potent Cal offense without a touchdown on the opening drive and this marks the 10th game this year that the Red Raiders have not allowed a TD on the opponent's first possession.
· Texas Tech scored a touchdown on its first possession (nine-yard reception by Hicks) and that marked the fourth time this year that the Red Raider offense has scored a touchdown on the opening drive.
· Redshirt freshman kicker Alex Trlica hit a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter to make the score 14-10 with Cal in the lead. He has now recorded a field goal in three consecutive games for the first time this year.
· Vincent Meeks' 48-yard interception return in the second quarter marked the first interception by the Tech defense since the Kansas State game on Oct. 30. Adell Duckett picked up the interception in that game and that was also the last turnover (INT or fumble) produced by the Tech defensive unit. Meeks' interception was his second of the season (last against Nebraska) and the ninth of his career.
· Jarrett Hicks set a new Texas Tech single-season record in the second quarter when he hauled in his 13th touchdown reception of the year. Hicks put Tech back into the lead at 16-14 when he caught a five-yard pass from Cumbie.
· Sophomore defensive end Keyunta Dawson registered a sack in the second and fourth quarters to give him 6 ½ this year and he now has 11 in his career.
· Sophomore receiver Joel Filani hauled in his longest touchdown catch of the season on Tech's first drive of the third quarter. The 60-yard reception ranks as the second longest by a Tech player this season as Jarret Hicks holds that season record when he hauled in an 80-yard TD pass in the Nebraska game. Filani's touchdown was just his second of the year.
· Senior running back Johnnie Mack gave Tech a 37-17 lead with 6:18 remaining in the third quarter when he scored on an 11-yard rush. The rushing touchdown was his fifth of the season and the ninth of his career.
· Defensive lineman Patrice Majondo-Mwamba picked up his first sack of the season in the third quarter when he brought down Cal quarterback Aaron Rogers. The sack was also the first of his career.